The 10 Greatest Spider-Man Moments

After last night's crazy news, we've got Spidey on the brain, so we decided to once again present this list of our favorite Spider-Man moments from the comics. Can #1 be in the new Spidey solo movie? It gives us chills.

10

Peter Parker Is Back

Released 2014

As seen in: Superior Spider-Man #31

Humor is an essential part of Spider-Man's crime-fighting repertoire. His sarcastic quips are every bit as useful in keeping foes off balance as his webs and super-agility. And it's one tool that Otto Octavius never mastered during his time as the Superior Spider-Man. So it's only fitting that Peter rang in his return as Spidey with a well-aimed jab at Green Goblin. With one bad joke, Goblin didn't need to be told that Otto's mind had been expelled from Spider-Man's body. He knew. It was a deliciously understated celebration of their age-old rivalry.

9

Defeating the Alien Costume

Released 1985

As seen in: Web of Spider-Man #1

When Spidey acquired a his new black costume during the Secret Wars crossover, it seemed like the perfect gift. The suit could generate its own webs and alter its appearance to whatever Peter chose. But over time, he came to realize that the suit was alive and had a mind of its own. And even the assistance of the Fantastic Four wasn't enough to keep the possessive symbiote away forever. It wasn't until a disastrous battle with a quartet of Vultures and a painful ordeal inside a church bell tower that the symbiote was driven out of Peter's body for good. Unfortunately, for him, that only paved the way for a new host of symbiote-powered villains like Venom and Carnage.

8

Unmasking on National TV

It's hard to genuinely surprise readers with event comics anymore. They expect twists and turns and big deaths, and more and more often those twists are spoiled well in advance of an issue's release. But the big twist in Civil War #2 was a surprise for many readers. Who would have expected Spider-Man, a hero whose secret identity has always been one of his most essential traits, to unmask on national television as a show of support for the Superhuman Registration Act? Unlike Iron Man or Mister Fantastic, Peter had everything to lose by going public. The fact that he did anyway was a testament to Peter's bravery and loyalty. Too bad it wound up biting him on the butt in a huge way.

7

Meeting His Greatest Fan

Released 1984

As seen in: The Amazing Spider-Man #248

The backup story in Amazing Spider-Man #248, "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man," seems like an innocent rehashing of Spider-Man's iconic origin story at first. It sees our hero sneak into the bedroom of a Spider-Man-obsessed boy named Tim and regale him with his harrowing tale. But eventually Peter is driven to unmask and reveal his biggest secret to young Tim. What would possess him to do such a thing? How can he trust even his biggest fan to keep that secret? The answer was that Tim had terminal leukemia, and Spidey's visit was an answer to his dying wish. It was a simple but emotional act of kindness that illustrated Spider-Man's boundless compassion.

6

Coming Out to Aunt May

Released 2002

As seen in: The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2 #38

Peter and Aunt May have been doing the same dance for decades. No matter how much personal drama it causes, Peter can't reveal his big secret to May, lest he cause her to keel over and die from shock. It's his burden alone to bear. But May is not the frail shrew perpetually on death's door she was portrayed as in the early years of Amazing Spider-Man. She has a strength all her own. And so J. Michael Straczynski decided it was finally time to push their relationship forward by having May discover her nephew's secret. She didn't die, as it turns out. And after a bit of emotional turmoil, they emerged more close than ever. This, more than anything, is an element we miss in the wake of One More Day's changes to the Spider-Man mythos.